Riverside County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Riverside County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Coachella Valley water district and data center concerns
Data centers can use enormous amounts of water and electricity — a hyperscale campus in Coachella would have drawn around 600 megawatts. LAFCO decided to just track proposed data centers and ask agencies for early notice, leaving actual land-use decisions to cities and the county. Seven new state laws on data centers were signed this week.
Pinyon Pines County Water District problems
The Fourth District Supervisor's office requested an MSR on the Pinyon Pines water district after resident complaints about infrastructure, water pressure, and fire flow issues. A special meeting on September 3 will take up the review.
Anza area power outages
A resident reported 22 outages in three years, 18 unannounced, leaving wells without water during fire season, and asked the board to investigate Anza Electric and Southern California Edison.
Verizon wireless tower on church property in Woodcrest
A disguised mono-pine cell tower will go up on church-owned land near Van Buren Boulevard, improving Verizon coverage in the area. The church, which leases the site, celebrated the approval after a multi-year process.
State of Good Repair funding for local transit operators
About $5.18 million in state State of Good Repair funds is being allocated to Riverside County transit operators for capital, maintenance, and rehabilitation projects.
Palo Verde Valley Transit Agency Funding Increase
PVVTA gets $217,350 more this year to hire a finance manager, senior account specialist, and administrative supervisor to keep the agency running smoothly.
SunLine Transit Agency funding increase
SunLine needs an extra $2 million to cover hydrogen fuel and insurance costs as it switches to zero-emission buses. The committee signed off on sending the funding boost and plan amendment to the full Commission.
Flood control projects
Six flood control projects — storm drains and channels in Riverside, Harupa Valley, Home Gardens, Temescal Valley, Menifee, and east of Temecula — moved forward after a public hearing. Supervisor Perez pushed again for a Thousand Palms drainage fix that floods every rain.
Emergency water service for Silent Valley RV campground
The Silent Valley campground's well keeps running dry, stranding RV residents without water. LAFCO approved a limited emergency hookup to the neighboring High Valleys Water District, with a two-year review to decide if the campground should annex into the district.
Automated Passenger Counter System Replacement
RTA's current rider-counting software is being discontinued, so the board awarded a five-year, $414,325 contract to Urban Transportation Associates. The data feeds federal reporting and drives route planning and schedule decisions.
91/15 Express Lanes Back Office Consolidation
New contracts keep transponders stocked for the 91 and 15 express lanes after the old agreement expired in July 2025. Costs are shared with Orange County on the 91.
Waste and Recycling Rate Increases
Landfill rates will rise with inflation each year under a new multi-year structure; Riverside's $51-a-ton rate remains the lowest in Southern California.
High Valleys Water District Extra-Territorial Service Request
High Valleys Water District wants permission to serve Silent Valley Campground with water through a short (~100-foot) connection across its boundary, as a backup when the campground's well runs dry. The item should reach the commission in May or June once CEQA work is done.
Chuckwalla Valley groundwater and solar development
Residents say the aquifer is already dropping a foot or two a year from existing solar operations, and wells have run dry. The Skybridge project could use up to 612 acre-feet per year, and speakers want monthly well monitoring and a full EIR.
SB 72 State Water Supply Planning
New state law requires the Department of Water Resources to set a 9 million acre-foot water supply target by 2040, with an advisory committee that includes WRCOG's TAC chair. Water supply planning matters for all the housing growth in the region.
Proposed state law would let LAFCOs initiate water/wastewater consolidations
Draft legislation from a UC Berkeley working group would let LAFCOs initiate annexations or reorganizations for water and wastewater service — currently they can only act on applications. It targets disadvantaged communities relying on wells or septic systems.
TDA Triennial Performance Audit
The state-required audit found RCTC compliant with all regulations but issued recommendations to transit operators, from fare studies to maintenance facilities. One commissioner questioned whether basic operational items need audit nudges.
Transit Ridership Recovery
Countywide transit ridership is still only about 71% of pre-pandemic levels, with Metrolink hit hardest. Smaller operators have fully recovered; staff cited service cuts, hybrid work, and workforce shortages.
Measure A Specialized Transit Funding
An extra $366,317 goes to three nonprofits providing rides for foster children, people exiting incarceration, and Idyllwild seniors — populations traditional bus service can't fully serve. The program is expected to deliver over 800,000 one-way trips this cycle.
Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District Annexations
Two properties near Beaumont just got approved to join the water district — one rescuing rural families whose well ran dry, the other enabling a 66-unit affordable housing complex. Both had full landowner consent.